Aster plant named White Butterfly

ABSTRACT

An Aster plant named White Butterfly particularly characterized by its cupped capitulum form; daisy capitulum type; white ray floret color; diameter across face of capitulum of 34 to 35 mm at maturity; strong, well branched flower stems; and many capitula per inflorescence on short pedicels.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Asterplant, hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name White Butterfly.

White Butterfly is a product of a planned breeding program which had theobjective of creating new perennial Aster cultivars for year-roundcommercial production having well branched flower stems, good flowersize, good flower form, and having superior lasting quality of the cutflowers. Such traits in combination were not present in previouslyavailable commercial cultivars.

White Butterfly was originated from a hybridization made by theinventors K. Sahin and P. Akerboom in a controlled breeding program inTer Aar, The Netherlands, in 1984. The female parent of White Butterflywas Aster pringlei c.v. Monte Casino. The male parent was an unnamedAster novi-belgii seedling.

White Butterfly was discovered and selected as one flowering plantwithin the progeny of the stated parentage by the inventors K. Sahin andP. Akerboom on Sept. 2, 1985 in a controlled environment in Ter Aar, andidentified as Seedling No. 84/165.

The first act of asexual reproduction of White Butterfly wasaccomplished when vegetative cuttings were taken from the initialselection in November of 1985 in a controlled environment in Ter Aar, bya technician working under formulations established and supervised by K.Sahin and P. Akerboom.

Horticultural examination of selected units initiated in 1985 and 1986has demonstrated that the unique combination of characteristics asherein disclosed for White Butterfly are firmly fixed and are retainedthrough successive generations of asexual reproduction.

White Butterfly has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity and daylength.

The following observations, measurements and comparisons describe plantsgrown in Ter Aar under greenhouse conditions which approximate thosegenerally used in commercial greenhouse practice in The Netherlands.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of White Butterfly, which, in combination,distinguish this Aster as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Cupped capitulum form.

2. Daisy capitulum type.

3. White ray floret color.

4. Diameter across face of capitulum of 34 to 35 mm at maturity.

5. Strong, well branched flower stems.

6. Many capitula per inflorescence on short pedicels.

The accompanying photographic drawing shows typical inflorescence ofWhite Butterfly, with the colors being as nearly true as possible withillustrations of this type. The color photograph is a perspective viewof White Butterfly grown as a single stem cut spray Aster.

Of the commercial cultivars known to the inventors, the most similar incomparison to White Butterfly is the female parent Monte Casino.Reference is made to attached Chart A, which compares certaincharacteristics of White Butterfly to the same characteristics of MonteCasino.

In comparison to Monte Casino, White Butterfly has stronger floweringstems, better branching, more capitula per inflorescence, largerflowers, a greater number of ray florets, and longer lasting quality ofthe cut flowers. With regard to the last mentioned characteristics, whengrown under similar conditions, the blossoms of White Butterfly willlast 2-3 days longer than the flowers of Monte Casino. Similar traitsare ray floret color, capitulum form and type, spray formation andphotoperiodic light reaction.

In the following description color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart. The color values were determinedbetween 12:00 and 14:00 hours on Mar. 16, 1987 at Alphen aan den Rijn,The Netherlands.

Classification:

Botanical.--Aster pringlei×novi-belgii cv White Butterfly.

Commercial.--Small daisy-like spray Aster perennial.

INFLORESCENCE

A. Capitulum:

Form.--Cupped.

Type.--Daisy.

Diameter across face.--34-35 mm.

Arrangement.--Raceme inflorescence.

B. Corolla of ray florets:

Color (general tonality from a distance of three meters).--White.

Color (upper surface).--Closest to 155D.

Color (under surface).--Closest to 155D.

Shape of floret.--Apex reflexing; narrow, oblon, straight.

Size of floret.--14-15 mm long×2 mm wide.

Number of ray florets.--29-35.

C. Corolla of disc florets:

Color (mature).--Closest to 1C to 1D.

Color (immature).--Closest to 1C to 1D.

Diameter of disc.--7 mm.

D. Reproductive organs:

Androecium.--Present on disc florets only; no pollen.

Gynoecium.--Present on both ray and disc florets.

PLANT

A. General appearance:

Height.--Medium to tall; depends on light reaction. Under continuouslong days it can grow up to 2 meters tall medium branching.

B. Foliage:

Color.--147A to 147B.

Shape.--Oblanceolate and linear, with occassional downward reflexing atthe tip.

Size.--99-110 mm long×7-14 mm wide.

Length.--Short to medium; width medium to broad.

Margin.--Entire.

Arrangement.--Alternate, with angle acute.

    ______________________________________                                        CHART A                                                                       COMPARISON OF WHITE BUTTERFLY                                                 AND MONTE CASINO                                                              Cultivar        White Butterfly                                                                            Monte Casino                                     ______________________________________                                        Ray Floret Color                                                                              White        White                                            Capitulum Form and Type                                                                       Cupped daisy Cupped daisy                                     Spray formation Compound     Compound                                         Pedicels        7-22 mm long 7 mm long                                        Diameter across face                                                                          34-35 mm     20-22 mm                                         of capitulum                                                                  Number of ray florets                                                                         29-35        27                                               ______________________________________                                         Comparisons made on plants grown as single stem spray Asters in Ter Aar,      The Netherlands                                                          

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct Aster plant named White Butterfly, asdescribed and illustrated.